Many years ago, we had a Christmas party at our old house, and after everyone had said all the greetings, settled down and got their drinks, it was Show & Tell Time, whereby the guests got to fondle and coo over my latest gun acquisitions. For some reason, this always took quite some time.
Anyway, at some point the place looked like some 1930s-era gangster’s hideout, with rifles, shotguns and handguns scattered all over the place. Whereupon one of the lady guests looked around, and said: “Aaahhh… Christmas at Kim’s!”
Much laughter followed.
It’s not only at Christmas. The other night I was busy cleaning out our walk-in closet off the bathroom. Basically, it’s a room which has seen very little traffic over the past few years, because Connie had moved the few clothes she needed into the spare room next to the den, and I generally live out of the armoire in the bedroom anyway.
So there I was, doing some archaeological research into the detritus that had gathered in one corner, and discovered the following:
Yes, that’s two hundred rounds of Winchester .45 ACP hardball. No idea when I bought it, how it got there or anything else. (Finding Random Ammo in my house is not that unusual; I once found five hundred rounds of 5.56mm ammo in the garage — and I’ve never owned an AR-15.)
But that wasn’t all. Underneath the ammo was a little blue box. Inside:
Yes, a little Heritage Arms single-action revolver in .22 LR / .22 WM. No idea how that got there. I have a vague memory that it once belonged to one of the kids, but how it got into that forgotten corner of the closet? Like the fathers of Madonna’s adopted children: a complete mystery.
More alarming still, there’s still one more corner of the closet as yet undisturbed…
Kim,
It’s great to see you writing again. Believe me, you were sorely missed during the Mocha Messiah’s administration! My deepest condolences on Connie’s passing. I really enjoyed reading her blog and listening to the both of you on the “radio” show.
As a thought, you may want to point http://www.theothersideofkim.com/ over here too. Will you be reposting any of your old essays?
Dane,
Thankee for the kind words. As soon as I can figure out how, I’ll be bring some of the old content over, yes..
I want to recommend a couple of very quick reads, if you haven’t read them yet- Scott Adams “God’s Debris” first, followed by “The Religion War”
Hi Kim, many condolences for your loss. Welcome back.
I would think of it as “blessings from Heaven”. (*pssst*, let’s not draw attention to our fading memories)
I don’t mostly find firearms that I can’t recall ever having acquired, though I do occasionally come across something and think, “Oh, yeah! That one.” I come across ammo all the time. I recently consolidated all my 22LR from a dozen different nooks and crannies, and I was quite surprised to see how much I had.
Oh. If you disinter the 22LR cylinder for the Single Six I bought from you several years ago, I’d buy that from you, too. 😉
I remember the Nation of Rifleman shoot. The mud/tornado mess. It’s a wonder you didn’t end up with more guns than you started with with all the gun cases in your spare bedroom. My wife wasn’t really excited about attending but enjoyed herself immensely. She couldn’t believe a bunch of gun nuts could discuss so many things intelligently. Connie was a fantastic hostess and a great cook. Maybe you’ll find the M1919 that someone lost.
Kim,
My sincere condolences for your tremendous loss.
I was a reader and forum member back in the day, and I’m the guy who bought your Mosin Nagant, back when you sold off your collection. I still have it, and I still cherish it.
I chose this post to comment on because the same happens to me. I’all open a box or bag in a closet and find happy surprises, ammo, holsters and sometimes a fire arm or two. I guess I learned it from you.
I look forward to redoing your thoughts again. Welcome back.
-MJB.
MJB, it’s nice to see you again, and just as nice to know that the Mosin isn’t being used to prop a window open or something.
Hehe… no sir. It’s shot and cleaned and loved regularly; still far more accurate with the bayonet out. Lots of room out here in western Nebraska.
Kim,
My sincere condolences for your tremendous loss.
I was a reader and forum member back in the day, and I’m the guy who bought your Mosin Nagant, back when you sold off your collection. I still have it, and I still cherish it.
I chose this post to comment on because the same happens to me. I’all open a box or bag in a closet and find happy surprises, ammo, holsters and sometimes a fire arm or two. I guess I learned it from you.
I look forward to redoing your thoughts again. Welcome back.
-MJB.
I seldom find that kind of prize in deep closet recesses- but I did find the chassis to an old Rickenbacker TR-35b amp I used to have. Wound up building a new cab as the old one was stolen, years and years ago.
Welcome Back -og
Thankee, Og. Good to see you again, too.
To the guy who got me into Swedish Mausers, VEPRs, and .30 Blackhawks, I’m glad you’re back, Kim.